Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game is fantastic. There’s a lot to be said about just how good this game is, but I want to give some attention to one relatively small aspect that I appreciate: the suit system.

Throughout the game you can unlock several of Spidey’s suits, each with an associated power that functions like an ultimate move. There are also suit mods that can be purchased as well. But here’s where it get interesting: you unlock a suit power when you unlock the corresponding suit, but you can use any power while wearing any suit. And the mods are totally independent, unlocked on their own and consistent no matter what suit you equip (no shuffling them around every time you change outfits).

I love this. It lets you play the way you want to play, while looking the way you want to look. That kind of separation of aesthetics and functionality is something I’ve wanted more of for years. I always grind my teeth a little when I unlock armor or weapons with stronger abilities, but don’t want to give up the style of my current loadout.

At the same time though, they aren’t totally separate, because powers are still associated with suits. It maintains a meaningful thematic relationships between them, and you can stick with only using the appropriate suit/power combos if you want. It really is totally up to the player.

It’s the kind of thing most players probably won’t even think about, but contributes to a more elegant, streamlined design that lets them stay in the action and tailor the experience to their playstyle. Top notch stuff.